By Any Means Necessary
Part 24
By Morgana
By Any Means Necessary
Part 24
By Morgana
Celeborn had stretched out on his bed, trying to clear his mind now that things had calmed down. Maybe he could spend the evening with Haldir, at least he hoped so. He needed a moment of quiet.
But it seemed he wouldn’t get it, as someone knocked on his door. He was tempted to act as if he wasn’t in, but relented when Elrohir called out for him. After getting to his feet, he walked over to the doorway and opened the door. “What are you doing here, pen-neth? Shouldn’t you be with Elladan and your father?”
Elrohir nervously shuffled his feet. “May I enter?” He didn’t want to apologize in the corridor, but he would do it, if Celeborn wouldn’t let him in. “I want to tell you something.”
Celeborn figured Elrond had told Elrohir about Elros and stepped aside, letting the troubled younger half-Elf enter. He closed the door and then signaled for Elrohir to follow him. They seated themselves near the fireplace and Celeborn crossed his arms in front of his chest – waiting.
“I was wrong,” said Elrohir in a timid voice, hesitantly locking gazes with Celeborn. “Ada told me what happened to Elros and I am glad that you told Elladan. I just didn’t understand.”
Celeborn nodded once and then waited for Elrohir to continue. It was obvious his youngest grandson needed to get more off his chest.
“Ada also told me what happened to Elros and that you took care of him after Gil-galad died. You also made sure Nana and Ada got together. I need to apologize for my crude behavior and I want to thank you for everything you did. Without you, we might have lost Ada and none of us would have been born.”
Celeborn failed to keep up his stern appearance and gathered Elrohir’s hand in his when his grandson reached for him. “You are forgiven, pen-neth. And I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me too.”
“Of course!” Elrohir sighed contentedly when Celeborn pulled him into an embrace. “I am so sorry! I didn’t understand why you acted like that.”
Celeborn held his grandson close and only released Elrohir after the half-Elf had calmed down. “You do realize that your father will need you close for quite some time?”
Elrohir nodded, looking into his grandfather’s eyes. “I feel guilty for what Elros did.”
“Oh, pen-neth, don’t. There is no need to feel guilty for something Elros did. Your father will always mourn the loss of his twin, but he has found great happiness with his family. Support him.”
“I will.” Elrohir pulled away and rose from the chair. “I should seek out Elladan. There is a lot we need to talk about.”
“But of course.” Celeborn got to his feet as well. “I should tell you that I cannot stay much longer. Shortly I will leave to aid the Fellowship in Helm’s Deep. As your father is still recuperating, Haldir and I will join this army. And you,” he told the half-Elf, realizing what Elrohir wanted to say, “Elladan and you will stay here. I won’t allow you to join us.”
“Ada didn’t mention anything about an army,” said Elrohir thoughtfully.
“That is because he doesn’t know yet. Galadriel tried to farspeak with him, but Elrond is too focused on you and didn’t notice.” He smiled. “It was most fortunate that I picked up on Elladan’s thoughts when your father couldn’t hear them.”
“Aye, it was.” Filled with genuine gratitude and love, Elrohir embraced his grandfather tightly. “I am more grateful that you will ever know.”
Celeborn smiled into his grandson’s long, raven hair. /Oh, I know, pen-neth. I know./
After spending a peaceful night in each other’s arms, Erestor was the first to wake. Arien shone strongly in the blue sky and the darkness seemed to have left the lands. Turning toward Thranduil, his breath caught, seeing the once grey mane now sparkling golden in the sunlight. “You are beautiful,” whispered Erestor awed.
For the first time since his arrival in Mirkwood, he was convinced that they would defeat evil and that Thranduil would make a full recovery. The love that he felt for the Sinda overwhelmed him and he pushed down the sheet that covered Thranduil. He licked his lips appreciatively, finding his lover erect.
Moving cautiously, he knelt next to Thranduil’s body and bowed forward until his tongue came into contact with his lover’s hard flesh. Thranduil moaned, but didn’t wake up. Parting his lips, he took in more of the length, suckling greedily. As he glanced at his lover, he realized Thranduil wasn’t waking up yet and he smiled wickedly.
He curled his fingers around the Sinda’s hard flesh and then closed his lips over the head.
Now that *did* get Thranduil’s attention. His eyes immediately regained their emerald glow, and as he looked at his dark-haired lover, a flash of desire moved through him. Was he strong enough to finally claim Erestor? Did he want to rush this or did he want to take his time and do everything right? Looking at the bobbing head, he tangled his fingers in the raven mane and urged Erestor to slow down.
Slightly confused, Erestor made eye contact with his lover. Thranduil’s grip on his hair suddenly tightened and pulled him away from his groin. His lips eagerly descended over the Sinda’s and he gave in, savoring his lover’s eagerness. “Do you want me now?” Erestor ached to be touched, but Thranduil seemed indecisive.
“Not yet. Not like this.” Thranduil ran a finger over his lover’s lips. “Not while darkness hovers over our heads.” Then, he smirked. “But there are other ways…”
Curiously, Erestor raised an eyebrow. “What do you have in mind?” His body hummed with anticipation.
“Move onto your hands and knees.” Thranduil sat upright, claimed his lover’s lips and after bruising them, he turned Erestor around. He was hard, painfully hard and he needed release.
Erestor trembled from excitement, feeling Thranduil move into place behind him. He wondered what the Sinda was up to. Thranduil had told him earlier that he didn’t want to fully claim him yet, but the position he was in made him wonder. The hot head of his lover’s erection pressed against his buttocks and he sucked in his breath. He wanted nothing more than to be ravaged.
But Thranduil sighed and didn’t change his mind. He guided his erection between Erestor’s thighs and then told his lover to press them together, creating enough friction that would make him come.
Erestor, wanting to feel Thranduil push him down now that he couldn’t feel his lover inside him, lowered himself and pressed into the mattress. That way his erection rubbed against the sheet, giving him just enough stimulation to eventually reach orgasm himself.
Following his lover down, Thranduil pressed close to his mate’s body and then set a slow thrusting rhythm. Biting down in Erestor’s neck, he marked the Noldorin Elf as his own. “Oh, I hope the day will quickly come that I can claim you as you deserve to be claimed.” Thrusting, he slid his hands up and down Erestor’s body, hoping his lover would reach orgasm first. He wanted to feel the dark-haired Elf tremble beneath him. Acting on instinct, he wetted one fingertip with saliva and gently entered his lover’s body, seeing out the hidden gland.
Erestor was quickly losing his mind and Thranduil rubbing his sweet spot pushed him over the edge. “I want you… inside me!” Climaxing, he trembled helplessly. A moment later, hot cream dripped down his thighs, proof that Thranduil had reached orgasm as well.
Holding onto Erestor, Thranduil panted softly. He belatedly realized that he was still pressing his lover down, but Erestor didn’t seem to mind. Resting his head on Erestor’s shoulder, he felt at peace and complete.
Briefly, Erestor closed his eyes. Each time that Thranduil made him come his orgasm felt more intense and spectacular. He couldn’t help but wonder what explosion would rock his world should the Sinda finally claimed him.
/Now you saw it with your own eyes. Now you know for certain how this Noldo bewitched your King. Don’t you think he needs to be punished?/
Belldoron nodded firmly. /Aye, I need to take action. I cannot let this continue!/ Erestor had to be stopped!
/A meeting is scheduled for this afternoon. Erestor doesn’t know about it and won’t attend. You can get to him when Thranduil is talking to his advisors. But you need to find a hiding place first. Where will you take him? Make sure you cannot be tracked down. You don’t want to be interrupted when you extract revenge for your King./
/I know a place where no one ever comes. He wouldn’t be found until it is too late./ Part of his Elven heritage still fought the vile influence of Sauron’s Shadow. He had always been an honorable warrior and didn’t want to slay one of his own kind.
/We will see what sort of punishment this Noldo deserves. I am sure we will find ways to avenge your King’s honor./
The whispering voice left his mind, but his intentions still remained. He would make sure that Erestor wouldn’t manipulate Thranduil ever again!
Glorfindel had hoped that Celeborn would postpone his visit until the next day, as Elrond needed rest, but now the Lord of the Golden Wood was seating himself next to his lover’s bed. “Would you like me to leave?” It was possible that Celeborn wanted to talk to Elrond in private.
“Nay, stay. That way I only have to say this once.”
Celeborn’s voice woke Elrond and he reluctantly opened his eyes, wishing he could have slept a few more hours. His eyes focused, and seeing the smile on the silver-haired Elf’s face, he figured Elrohir and Celeborn had talked.
“So you finally told them?” Celeborn leaned back into the comfort of the chair.
“I did. I no longer had a choice.” Elrond pushed himself into a sitting position and smiled thankfully when Glorfindel fluffed his pillows and eased him back into them. “I gather Elrohir apologized?”
“He did.” Celeborn smiled. “I am glad that I was in time to prevent history from repeating itself.”
“So am I. You have my eternal gratitude.” Elrond accepted the cup of tea Glorfindel handed him and sipped slowly. “They will work out.”
“Aye, they will. But that is not the reason why I am here.” Celeborn cleared his throat, catching Elrond’s puzzled expression. “The Fellowship has reached Rohan and soon they will head for Helm’s Deep. Galadriel foresaw a great battle in the keep and we should honor our alliance with Men and support them.”
Elrond sighed; his instincts had warned him sacrifices would have to be made. “I will lead this army.”
“Nay, you are in no condition to lead them. You need to recover.” Celeborn had seen Glorfindel tense, hearing Elrond’s words. “Haldir will lead them.”
“Haldir?” Glorfindel frowned. He had thought Celeborn would assume command. Looking at Elrond, he saw a similar surprise in his lover’s eyes.
“You won’t go?” Elrond studied Celeborn, realizing he was missing something.
“I will travel to Helm’s Deep as well, but incognito. And I have my reasons for doing so. Don’t ask me to explain them to you, because I won’t.”
Elrond nodded once. “I learned to trust you and your judgment a long time ago. It will be as you said. Haldir will lead the army.”
“Excellent.” Celeborn rose from his chair. “Haldir and I have to prepare for departure. We will leave tonight.”
“But you still have to assemble our guards!” Glorfindel felt this was rushed. They should prepare more carefully.
“We don’t have any time left to spare,” said Celeborn. “As it is, we will have to travel without pauses to reach Helm’s Deep in time.”
“May the Valar bless this undertaking,” said Elrond, giving his father in law permission to do whatever was necessary to ensure Saruman and Sauron wouldn’t be victorious.
Celeborn inclined his head in goodbye and then left the room. He had much to do.
Haldir drew in a deep breath, finding out about his next assignment. “This is a suicide mission.”
“Aye, and therefore they need a compassionate leader who will want to keep as many alive as possible. That is why I chose you.” Celeborn vowed again that he would keep his love safe.
“I will carry out your orders, as I always do,” said Haldir calmly, “But I do not expect many to survive.” He felt more emotional than he showed. This meant he had to say his goodbyes to Celeborn, as they would probably never meet again. “I am honored to have served under you, my Lord.”
Celeborn’s throat tightened with emotion. “We will meet again, Haldir.”
“Will we?” Haldir shook his head. He had to get out now, before he became emotional. Whispering, he said his final farewells, “Aa' lasser en lle coia orn n' omenta gurtha.” (May the leaves of your life tree never turn brown.) Gathering his cloak around him, he hurried out of the room, his heart breaking because his love would never be.
Celeborn watched him leave. “I will cover your back, melethron, and we will meet again!” Quickly, he gathered his things and secretly joined the army that would shortly leave for Helm’s Deep.
Erestor enjoyed having some time to himself and he decided to pay a visit to the lake, remembering their first encounter there Sitting down on a log, he looked out over the silver-colored lake. He was immensely grateful that Elrond had sent him here, for now he had found true love. Thranduil was everything he had ever wanted in a lover – and more.
Smiling contentedly, he was too focused on reliving their first encounter to hear the approaching footfalls. Then, suddenly, something hard struck the back of his head. A sharp pain swept through him and his world darkened, falling into consciousness.
Belldoron grinned menacingly now that the accursed Noldo lay sprawled at his feet. Blood dripped from the back of Erestor’s head, and the Elf remained motionless when Belldoron hoisted him onto his shoulder to carry him off to his secret hiding place.
This was just the beginning of Erestor’s punishment.
“My Liege!” Pethnathron (Wordweaver) jumped to his feet when his King swayed and then collapsed. Thranduil’s oldest and most trusted advisor managed to prevent a fall and gently eased his ruler back onto his chair. “Sire, what is ailing you?” Worried, he made eye contact with the other advisors, who had grown silent, concerned as well.
Thranduil reached for the back of his head and groaned in pain. “Erestor…”
Pethnathron quickly steadied his ruler, now that Thranduil was pushing himself to his feet again.
“Erestor is in pain. I can feel it.” Misty eyes scanned all present and he quickly realized who was missing. “Where is Belldoron?” But why would his trusted seneschal do anything to hurt his lover? For he knew Erestor was badly injured; their link told him so. “Fetch Belldoron! I want to talk to him, now!”
A guard hurried out of the room to do his ruler’s bidding, hoping he would easily locate their seneschal.
“Send for Lindir as well,” commanded Thranduil, who now leaned heavily on Pethnathron. “We need to find Erestor as quickly as possible,” he said, confiding in his advisor and wishing Legolas were still here. He needed someone he could trust unconditionally.
“Do you think Belldoron is involved?” The advisor hoped not. Belldoron and he had worked very well together these last few centuries.
“I cannot believe Belldoron would hurt Erestor, but…” Vilya sparkled at his finger, giving him the strength he needed to continue. “But the darkness is still present in my lands and it may have targeted him, now that I have proven immune.” But why was he discussing this? He was wasting valuable time. “Inform the guards that Erestor is injured and that I want him found. Bring him to me the moment he is located!”
Pethnathron signaled for the captain of the guards to approach and relied Thranduil’s orders to him. The Elf left at once, hoping to quickly find the elusive Noldo. Turning his attention back to Thranduil, he found his ruler back on his feet again, not swaying this time. “Please stay here, Sire. The guards will find Erestor and bring him here. You need to be patient.”
Thranduil glowered at his advisor, knowing Pethnathron was right, but he wanted to join the search party himself. “He is unconscious and I cannot see his surroundings. We will have to wait until he wakes up again. The last image I received was one of the lake. He was down there when he was attacked.”
“Then I will tell the guards to start their search there. In the meantime, would you sit down? I know that you feel stronger, but you are not yet strong enough to venture outside on your own.”
Thranduil growled, but gave in. “Tell them to hurry and then report back to me.”
“I will.” Pethnathron left to supervise the search and hoped they would find the Noldorin advisor quickly.
Elrond had made his way over to the window – unaided, but watched by a concerned Glorfindel, who stayed close just in case he had overestimated his strength. “They are leaving,” he said in a somber tone. “Most of them will never return to their families. This is a terrible price to pay.”
Glorfindel wrapped his arms around Elrond and pulled the half-Elf close to his chest. “You didn’t have a choice. The Fellowship needs all the help it can get. I know I sound terribly selfish, but I am glad you aren’t leading this army.”
Briefly, Elrond felt enraged, but then realized Glorfindel just wanted him safe because the Elda loved him. The last Elf now vanished from sight and he swayed on his feet. “I need to lie down, melme.”
Glad that Elrond was finally giving in to the need to rest, Glorfindel assisted the half-Elf back to the bed, where he helped Elrond to lay down.
“Will you join me? I need you.” Elrond raised an arm and pulled Glorfindel close.
“Don’t you think we should disrobe first?” It was night and they would be going to bed anyway. “We might sleep more comfortably without these suffocating robes.” It was no secret that he preferred to wear a tunic and leggings.
“I won’t stop you,” mumbled Elrond. He had spoken the truth earlier; he needed Glorfindel close. He needed Glorfindel even more now that the Elda had finished undressing them. Pressing his now naked body against Glorfindel’s, his hands traveled down his lover’s spine. “I need you tonight.” He wasn’t sure if he was pressuring Glorfindel, but the truth was that he felt utterly alone after having to relive losing Elros, Gil-galad and Celebrian. He needed to know that he wasn’t alone and that someone loved him.
Glorfindel understood, having heard Elrond’s broken tone when he had told the twins about the past. “You want me…” he repeated Elrond’s words, nodding once. “Tell me how, melamin.”
“I need to feel you inside me,” admitted Elrond, blushing weakly. He needed to be claimed, to feel loved. “Just inside me.”
His lover’s need was clear to Glorfindel, who realized the Peredhel wasn’t in the mood for much foreplay. All Elrond wanted was to feel connected and loved. “Do you have something that will ease my way in?”
“There is oil in the bathroom.” He watched his lover make his way into the bathroom and admired the agile, elegant body. He craved Glorfindel, and his body cried out for the blond’s touch.
Glorfindel exited the bathroom, carrying a crystal phial filled with oil. Standing at the foot end of the bed, he stared appreciatively at his lover’s wanton display. Elrond had parted his legs, inviting him to take him. “How do you want to do this?” He wanted to put as little pressure as possible on the injured side and shoulder.
“Curl up behind me.” Elrond rolled over onto his uninjured side and pulled his knees to his chest. “Now, melamin, please.” He had never begged before, but he needed Glorfindel now!
Glorfindel spooned up behind his lover and pulled Elrond close to his chest. At first he wondered why the half-Elf had chosen this position, but then he understood. Lost lovers were still too vivid in Elrond’s memories and this way his lover could pretend he was making love to Gil-galad. The High-King had saved him from insanity after Elros had died. Glorfindel should feel disappointed, but didn’t. Elrond had suffered so much that he was glad he could help ease his lover’s pain in this way.
Opening the phial, he coated his erection with the oil and then positioned himself at his lover’s entrance. Only a week ago he had dreamt of taking Elrond, but now that he had attained his goal, he didn’t feel as smug as he had thought he would. Instead, he felt a deep love for the half-Elf.
“Now, please.” Elrond had tightly closed his eyes and bit on his lower lip, feeling Glorfindel inch inside. The pain was worse than he remembered, but then again, Glorfindel hadn’t properly prepared him. /I want it this way./
Instinctively sensing his lover’s needs, Glorfindel buried himself to the hilt and then seized all motion. “Is this what you need?” He wrapped his arms around Elrond and held him close. It was hard not to start a thrusting motion, but Elrond’s needs came first. There would be other times for them to make love.
A single tear flowed from Elrond’s closed eyes and he nodded gingerly. He needed to feel connected, not alone.
Glorfindel licked the back of his lover’s neck, and unable to hold back any longer, he began to thrust slowly, shallowly, not wanting to cause Elrond any discomfort.
Each thrust stroked that special gland inside his passage and slowly, Elrond’s lax sex grew erect. In the end, he pumped himself hard, and began to rock back.
Taking this as his cue to speed up, Glorfindel wrapped his legs around Elrond. Pistoning in and out of his lover’s passage, he quickly reached orgasm, releasing his seed deep within the Peredhel’s body. Suddenly, he caught himself hoping that his lover would call out *his* name when he came, but feared it would be someone else’s.
Elrond moaned softly, realizing Glorfindel had found release inside his body and came as well. The tears on his face dried and he sighed deeply, realizing everything had turned out well after all. He had lost Elros, Gil-galad and Celebrian, but Glorfindel loved him and he wasn’t alone anymore. Looking over his shoulder, he stared into his lover’s dilated pupils. “It is you who I love, nîn bellas. It will take me some time to rid myself of these ghosts, but knowing you love me will give me the strength I need.”
It was more than Glorfindel had hoped for. Still riding waves of ecstasy, he claimed Elrond’s lips, sealing their love with a kiss.